Taiwan Greets China's Tourists

( by Theodore Pigott, special correspondent )

　　 This summer, Taiwan has welcomed a wave of new visitors—tourists from China . The first groups arrived by plane on July 4, and they were greeted by traditional dragon dances and Taiwanese aboriginal songs at Taoyuan and Songshan airports.

　　 In the past, Chinese tourists could only travel to Taiwan after first making stops in Macau or Hong Kong. As a result, less than 300,000 Chinese tourists visited Taiwan over the last six years. With the election of Ma Ying-jeou as Taiwan's new president, however, restrictions on travel across the Taiwan Strait have been eased, and direct flights have now become possible. In addition, with new agreements between the two sides, as many as 3,000 tourists a day from China are now permitted to visit Taiwan. Over a period of one year, this could mean that about one million Chinese tourists will have the chance to explore Taiwan.

　　 According to the government in Taiwan, these visitors could help boost Taiwan's tourism industry by creating as much as US$3.2 billion in tourism revenue. What's more, up to 40,000 new jobs may be created as well, according to President Ma. Others say that increased tourism will help to improve relations between the two countries.

　 So far, the visits have gone smoothly, especially since the Chinese tourists usually travel around Taiwan in tour groups and stick to tightly controlled schedules. Some of the most popular stops for these visitors have included Sun Moon Lake and Alishan, which is well-known in China because of a popular Taiwanese song. Other stops have included the National Palace Museum, the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, and some famous sites connected with Chiang Kai-shek. And, although some groups, including Falun Gong, have been protesting outside of airports, no problems or incidents with the Chinese tour groups have been reported.

　　 So, thanks to these new policies, tourists from China are finally getting the chance to discover the beauty of Taiwan in person. Early reports show that most Chinese tourists are having a great time visiting Taiwan.

•Reading Comprehension Test

( 　) 1.	Which of the following statement is true?
	(A) It has been quite common for Chinese tourists to travel Taiwan since six years ago. (B) Chinese tourists usually take a guided tour in Taiwan. (C) President Ma imposed several restrictions on traveling over the Taiwan Strait. (D) People from China can’t take a plane to Taiwan directly after June.
( 　) 2.	Which of the following statement is FALSE?
	(A) Tourists from China don’t want to visit sites connected with Chiang Kai-shek. (B) The new travel policy might improve relations between Taiwan and China. (C) Sun Moon Lake is famous in China because of a popular Taiwanese song. (D) Most Chinese tourists have a great time in Taiwan.
( 　) 3.	What does the word “restriction” mean in the second paragraph?
	(A) Discomfort. (B) Danger. (C) Repair. (D) Limit.
( 　) 4.	Which benefit might Taiwan get from the new travel policy?
	(A) It might create US$ 3.2 billion in tourism revenue. (B) There might be one thousand Chinese tourists visiting Taiwan one day. (C) Population might increase. (D) There might be four thousand new jobs be created.
( 　) 5.	According to the article, which of the following place may NOT be included in Chinese tourists' schedule?
	(A) National Palace Museum. (B) Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall. (C) Chiang Kai-shek memorial Hall. (D) Office of the President.